Making Your Major…Minor: Decreasing Marketing Frustrations

So you think marketing is complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Oftentimes, we treat marketing as a greater problem, blowing it out of proportion and exaggerating the challenges which usually stops us from actually executing. We say things like “it’s overwhelming,” “I don’t have the budget,” or my all-time favorite, “I don’t have the time”, when really It’s just a good ole case, of what I like to refer as, The Cants. The Cants is a condition that supports limited thinking which allows you to believe that you are unable to achieve something. With numerous marketing options to choose from, I fully understand how one could feel intimidated, overwhelmed and frustrated– making a mountain out of a molehill.

However, I find that marketing frustrations lie within our own personal expectations. Because marketing is very pivotal, prominent and necessary for growth, our thinking leads us to believe that our promoting is an epic fail if we aren’t promoting everything, everywhere, at all times. Truthfully, when the perception of what our expectations changes, we can begin to become more resourceful and creative in our marketing, lowering headaches and building profit along the way. Here are a few recommendations on combatting some frustrations that I find to be common among small business owners:

Marketing is Overwhelming – Stop making it more complicated than it is, develop a simple one-page plan for the current service/event and product you are trying to promote. Make sure you identify a clear goal, figure out who you want to target and how you are going to execute it. Most importantly, try not to stress over too many details, map your plan, execute it and evaluate it so that you can make tweaks along the way.

I Just Don’t Have The Time – Just as you schedule your business day, make sure you carve out 30-45 minutes a day to review what you are going to promote the following day (while you are on the train or eating your breakfast.) You can even take a few hours to schedule your weekly promotion activities so that it frees you up to work on building your business.

I am Working with a Zero Budget – Marketing for your business, is just as necessary as food is for your body. And just like cooking on a budget, it takes creativity. Use resources that require little to no cash flow to promote your business. Social media is one avenue, that doesn’t require a budget and if you need to create images for your platforms, there are free services such as Canva to help create marketing images.

Marketing should NEVER be complicated, however, we often muddy the process by over complicating our efforts and staying stagnant in our frustrations. For growing businesses the development of a marketing plan, managing time and creating a smart budget are key elements to eliminating stress. Focus your efforts on manageable, actionable and affordable marketing activities that will help you and your business to grow.

Sherron is speaking at the BAM Success Summit about Marketing Simplified. Sherron is a CEO, author, marketing & communication expert, and professor. For more than a decade, she has imparted her wisdom and expertise in marketing, communications, branding, and design. Sherron is often referred to as “the Marketing Whisperer” due to her outstanding record of achievement in creating innovative marketing and communication solutions for non-profit organizations, associations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. She is also a business and communication professor at two local universities and is the author of Market Simple: The Blueprint I Wish I Had Before I Started A Business. Sherron shares expert insight into the marcomm industry as well as interact with participants – often including participants in her presentations to enhance the learning experience.